Same Old Lang Syne
by Ember Hinote
Summary: Arthur, a now famous musician, is home for the holidays. When he has to run an erand on Christmas night, he make a surprise encounter with his old flame, a certain American by the name of Alfred F. Jones.


**Disclaimer: I own none of this and definatey not the song! "Same Old Lang Syne" is owned by EMI Music Publishing as well as Dan Fogelberg.**

**Happy Holidays!**

* * *

_Met my old lover in the  
grocery store  
The snow was falling Christmas Eve  
I stole behind her in the  
frozen foods  
And I touched her on the sleeve_

Arthur Kirkland. That name was engrained in the minds of anyone who had a _decent_ taste in music. He had always been a talented musician when he was young and he knew that music was his passion but he had never dreamt that music would be his life. He never dreamt that he would become as well known as he was now.

It was a chilly Christmas Eve with the snow slowly starting to pile up. The sky was the color of stone and with every breath he released, puffs of smoke followed. His cardinal red trench coat was fastened with his collar popped up to help shield his neck from the cold as he made his way towards the market from his space in the parking lot. A decorative red carnation sat in the breast pocket of his coat. His pants were striped faded red and khaki while his sturdy brown boots stopped two inches below his knee.

Normally, he would be at his home, sitting by the fire with a book and a nice cup of tea but he had run out of said tea and needed to pick up a few ingredients for dinner. Even though he was rarely home, he always liked to keep a well stocked cupboard and his brother helped him in doing so, but sometimes they were a bit forgetful. He was making his through the aisles, quietly filling up his basket when a flash of blonde caught his eye.

Arthur turned his head to see what it was but whatever was there wasn't there anymore. He hurried in the direction that the flash had gone, hoping to find what it was. He found himself in the frozen foods behind a tall, blonde man. His hair was the color of sunshine of a beautiful day, a color that was very familiar to the Briton. Even though he could only see the other man's back, he had a slight suspicion to who the man was so he touched his jacket's black sleeve.

_She didn't recognize the  
face at first  
But then her eyes flew  
open wide  
She went to hug me and she  
spilled her purse  
And we laughed until we cried._

The man snapped around and looked at him in surprise. Arthur just merely grinned at the man as his suspicions were correct. The cowlick was the giveaway to who he was. There was silence between the two for a minute before a sparkle of recognition appeared in the other man's eyes and he attempted to embrace the musician. The act was, however, unsuccessful as it caused him to spill the contents of his own basket.

"Still as clumsy as ever," chuckles Arthur with a smile, "Alfred."

"I sorry dude," answers the younger blonde, Alfred, as they both get down to pick up the fallen items while laughing at the events that had occurred.

_We took her groceries to the  
checkout stand  
The food was totalled up and  
bagged  
We stood there lost in our  
embarrassment  
As the conversation dragged._

After collecting all the fallen items, the two blondes made their way towards the checkout stand.

"Wow," gasps Alfred, "I still can't believe that you're actually here!"

"What's so shocking about it Al?"

"That you're actually here!" says Alfred still in shock, "I mean you just up and disappeared from town one day at random and never came back! And the next thing we all knew, you were on TV as a new music sensation!"

Arthur bit his tongue. He never did mean to just "up and leave" like that. It was just that his producer called and he needed to get out quickly as to make the deal. It felt as if they talked for hours when it was only 30 minutes when their conversation had started to drag.

_We went to have ourselves  
a drink or two  
But couldn't find an open bar  
We bought a six-pack at  
the liquor store  
And we drank it in her car_

That time spent talking with each other in the grocery store wasn't enough for either man. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single bar open that night for them to go and warm up in as well as get reacquainted with each other. But lucky for them, the local liquor store was open. Arthur went in and purchased a six-pack for them to enjoy in Alfred's car instead of the bar that he would have preferred.

_We drank a toast to  
innocence  
We drank a toast to now  
And tried to reach beyond  
the emptiness  
But neither one knew how._

Arthur didn't know how long he and Alfred had been drinking and toasting to all the events that had happened in between the last time they had met until now. They toasted to his success. They toasted each other's lives. They toasted even being alive. But no matter how much they spoke and toasted, neither man felt content with just speaking with each other. It felt as if there was a rift separating them.

_She said she'd married her  
an architect  
Who kept her warm and safe  
and dry  
She would have liked to say she  
loved the man  
But she didn't like to lie._

"So how has everything been for you in general Alfred?" asks Arthur curious, "Still single maybe?"

Alfred takes another swig of beer before showing Arthur his left hand, specifically, his fourth finger where a platinum Celtic ring was. Arthur was surprised overall. He never expected his friend to settle down as when they were youths, they were rebel rousers.

"So," drawls Arthur, "Who's the lucky lady?"

"Man," corrects Alfred with a sigh, "And it's Lovino."

Arthur chokes on his beer when he heard that name. "ROMANO?! AS IN LOVINO VARGAS?!"

Alfred smiles and nods upon his friend's shock. After Arthur had left, Alfred had dated around, trying to fill the void that Arthur had left in his heart but nobody seemed to fill it. Lovino however, was the closest to filling it.

"He's a very successful architect," he says, "And we have a rather nice house, rather warm, great security system, and he made sure that with any amount of rain or snow, the roof will never start leaking."

Arthur gave his friend a calculating gaze as drank more of his beer. There was something off about his answer but the Briton just couldn't pin point what exactly.

"But do you love him?" he asked.

Alfred froze upon hearing the question and lowered his head. Arthur quickly placed a comforting hand upon the American's shoulder in worry.

"Alfred?"

"You know I don't like to lie, right Artie?" sighs Alfred sadly.

_I said the years had been a  
friend to her  
And that her eyes were still  
as blue  
But in those eyes I wasn't  
sure if I saw  
Doubt or gratitude._

Arthur just nods his head to Alfred's statement. He didn't know exactly what to say anymore. It felt as if he had just run out of words once more. So he quickly searched for a topic to go on about when emerald met sapphire. Arthur's smile warmed as he gazed at his friend.

"Well if it helps," says Arthur, "You still look just as dashing as you did in high school." He then takes Alfred's chin into his hand and lifts it so that their eyes meet, "And your eyes, they are still that stunning shade of blue."

He saw Alfred begin to blush in response to his comments. But as he peered deeply into those sapphire orbs, he couldn't make out exactly what emotion his friend was enduring at the moment. Did he doubt Arthur's statement or was he grateful for the compliment?

_She said she saw me in the  
record stores  
And that I must be doing well  
I said the audience was  
heavenly  
But the traveling was hell._

Alfred pulled away from Arthur's hand and straightens himself out again in nervousness. He looks out the window at the falling snow as he thinks.

"I saw your CDs in the store," he said calmly before turning back to his friend, "And they sold out rather quickly. You must be pretty popular then."

Arthur groans as he leans back into his seat. "The audience," he begins, "I love my fans, they're the reason why I'm still in the business but the traveling. I can live without the traveling!"

_We drank a toast to  
innocence  
We drank a toast to now  
And tried to reach beyond  
the emptiness  
But neither one knew how.  
We drank a toast to innocence  
We drank a toast to time  
Reliving in our eloquence  
Another 'auld lang syne'..._

The two friends continued to drink their beer and talking about random topics. They didn't know what else to do beside to continue drinking. They were running out of ideas but they also did not want to leave each other.

_The beer was empty and our  
tongues were tired  
And running out of things to say  
She gave a kiss to me as I got out  
And I watched her drive away._

The beer was not endless unfortunately. It ran dry, just like their conversation. Everything had been spoken about and there was nothing to continue talking about. Alfred checks his watch and his eyes widen.

"I'm sorry Arthur but I have to get home now," he says sadly, "Lovino will start to get worried if I'm any later."

Arthur merely nods as he gets out from the car and into the chilly night. The Briton walks over to the American's driver side window and leans down so that their face to face when Alfred rolls the window down.

"I wish you well," he says.

Arthur was surprised by Alfred's next actions. He did not expect the American's lips on his check. He did not expect to receive a kiss from his former best friend. When the American pulls away with a sad smile, he was left stunned.

"Happy Holidays," was all he said before he drove off into the night, leaving a very stunned Brit in his tracks.

_Just for a moment I was  
back at school  
And felt that old familiar pain  
And as I turned to make  
my way back home  
The snow turned into rain –_

Arthur was soon taken back to the day before he had to leave for his recording contract. To the day he and Alfred were walking side by side in the school corridors, laughing, smiling, and sometimes arguing. He remembered how much he had loved the American back then and just how much of that love still remained. He sometimes regretted losing contact with Alfred but that encounter just now just seemed to worsen the pain. Instead of heading home with a lighter heart in knowing that his friend was well, he headed home with tears running down his face in the memory of a lost love. An alternate ending to his tale.


End file.
